Thomas N. Burbridge was born in New Orleans, LA, July 12, 1921. He received his A.B. from Talladega College in 1941, and his MD from UCSF in 1948. In 1956 Dr. Burbridge received his PhD, also from UCSF.

From 1942 through 1945 he served in the U.S. Navy, and from 1952 to 1955 Dr.Burbridge served in the U.S. Public Health Service, as a visiting lecturer in Indonesia. On his return to this country Dr. Burbridge became assist. professor of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics at UCSF, becoming assoc. professor in 1970.

Dr. Burbridge was a member of the American Society of Pharmacology, the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, and the American Therapeutic Society. His primary research interests were comparative pharmacology, alcohol metabolism, psychopharmacology and drug metabolism.

He was a member of the Board of the NAACP, and in 1967 was honored for his outstanding contributions to bringing justice and equality to San Francisco. In 1973 the UCSF campus named for him an award given annually to a UCSF staff member, faculty member or student, for outstanding community service. Dr. Burbridge was married to the former Yvonne Mason, and they have five children.